Seven Mahoning Valley projects — three projects in Youngstown, three in Warren and one in Newton Falls — received $5.8 million in state grants for brownfield remediation that will assist with economic development.

The local projects include the Youngstown Flea and the McGuffey Mall in Youngstown and a former Republic Steel site and the old Peerless Winsmith location in Warren.

The seven local projects were among 61 statewide getting $106.9 million in grants through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program announced Friday by the state Department of Development.

Gov. Mike DeWine said: “There is no easy way to clean up the contamination at these sites; they all need expert remediation that’s too costly for communities to take on alone. Through this program, we’re helping local communities reclaim hazardous properties so that they can be reimagined and redeveloped.”

The Mahoning County Land Bank received the funding for the three Youngstown projects while the Trumbull County Land Bank received the grants for the four projects in that county.

Mahoning received $3,466,471 for its projects while Trumbull got $2,337,830.

The funding for the program is through the state’s operating budget. Each of the state’s 88 counties were eligible for at least $1 million in funding with the remaining funds awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to DeWine’s office.

Funding awarded Friday will help assess and clean up industrial, commercial and institutional brownfield sites that are abandoned, idled or underutilized because of a known or potential release of hazardous substances or petroleum, according to DeWine’s office.

Since the program’s launch in 2021, more than $450 million has been awarded for 374 projects. Ten Valley projects — including $3.4 million for the former St. Joseph Riverside Hospital in Warren and $6.9 million for 20 Federal Place in Youngstown — received funding in 2022.

MAHONING COUNTY

The largest Valley award Friday was $2.68 million for the Youngstown Flea, 365 E. Boardman St. The project involves the remediation of the historic industrial site, built in 1870 and formerly used for heavy manufacturing.

The building is owned by Youngstown Flea Inc., a nonprofit that offers a location for artisans and food vendors to sell their products.

The site contains hazardous materials including asbestos and other contaminants in its windows and window encasements.

Planned work includes asbestos abatement, partial demolition and the removal of contaminated materials.

The project aims to restore and redevelop the site while preserving its historical integrity, creating a mixed-use space for community events and businesses. The project aims to create 155 jobs.

The former McGuffey Mall on the city’s East Side received $560,962.

The location used to house a shopping center that was built in 1954 and transformed into an indoor mall in 1972. However, by 2007 it was vacant and deteriorating. It was demolished in 2014. The Western Reserve Port Authority purchased it in 2022 for $162,000 with plans for redevelopment.

The funding will be used to demolish large concrete pads that cover the location near the intersection of McGuffey Road and North Garland Avenue as well as remove contaminants including asbestos and prepare the site for future development.

While it was open, dry cleaners and a gas station there led to contamination.

The plan is to target future development as the site could be more accessible with a proposed extension of U.S. Route 62 nearby. The project would create nine jobs.

Also called the McGuffey Plaza, the location was one of the earliest developments built by the Cafaro Co., done in partnership with developer Edward DeBartolo Sr. It once featured department stores, supermarkets, banks, a bowling alley, a bakery and a hardware store.

Youngstown Councilman Jimmy Hughes, D-2nd Ward, gave $250,000 of his ward’s American Rescue Plan funds last year toward the cleanup of the site.

The former South High School Athletic Complex received $225,138 for cleanup.

The site, owned by the city of Youngstown, includes abating and demolishing the former South Field House at 1840 Erie St. as well as the demolition of the outdoor bleachers. Once finished, the site would be backfilled and graded.

The Valley Legends Stadium Consortium, which is part of Valley Christian Schools, has proposed to buy the site from the city and construct a 3,000-seat stadium with a turf football field and track.

The project aims to provide a community sports facility and stimulate neighborhood revitalization as well as create 35 jobs.

The consortium plans to spend about $9 million on the athletic complex in two phases. Valley Christian is working to raise the money for the project.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

A 200-acre portion of the former legacy Republic Steel plant in Warren, referred to as 200 West, is getting $1.14 million from the brownfield grant program.

The project involves the remediation of the former steel mill site, vacant since 2012 and includes various structures in disrepair. The site contains environmental contaminants, including metals, petroleum compounds and coal tar in the soil and groundwater.

Planned remediation includes soil excavation, groundwater treatment and potential vapor mitigation.

The location will be used for commercial or industrial purposes with groundwater extraction prohibited though there aren’t any current plans for it.

The site received a $300,000 state brownfield grant in 2022 for a contamination assessment.

The site, 200 West, is west of the Mahoning River and adjacent to the Cleveland-Cliffs coke plant.

Overall, there are 1,025 acres at the former Republic Steel plant site.

The Western Reserve Port Authority sold 560 acres in December to Kimberly-Clark for $9.9 million. The Fortune 200 company hasn’t announced plans for the location, but it’s expected to be used for manufacturing.

The 560 acres Kimberly-Clark purchased is part of 825 acres of that property that is considered prime industrial development space and a transportation corridor to Lordstown.

The former Peerless Winsmith property at 1401 W. Market St. in Warren received a $905,748 brownfield grant Friday.

The industrial site was used for electric motor manufacturing from the late 1800s through 2013.

The property has multiple deteriorated structures on it that require environmental cleanup to address contamination from previous industries.

The planned remediation includes soil excavation, groundwater treatment and vapor intrusion mitigation with the property’s use restricted because of the contamination.

It currently houses Clover Recycling, and the cleanup will permit the company to expand.

The project is expected to create 30 new jobs and retain 10 existing positions.

Trumbull Industries at 300 Dietz Road NE is getting a $123,750 grant.

The project involves an environmental site assessment at the site of the former Van Huffel Tube Co., which operated from the 1930s until 1985. The location, owned by Dietz Road Ltd. Partnership, includes several structures used for warehousing and manufacturing by Trumbull Industries.

The assessment will identify any environmental concerns to secure a “no further action” letter, allowing the property owner to secure a loan for necessary upgrades.

The project will help retain 75 jobs and create 10 new ones by expanding Trumbull Industries’ operational capacity.

The First Street park and river project in Newton Falls received a $165,000 grant. The spot, which was used for settling ponds and agricultural purposes, currently consists of densely vegetated wooded land with a large active settling pond and three dry former settling ponds.

The site includes potential concerns such as unnatural elevation that is possibly buried waste. A property assessment was done and a second assessment is needed to determine the extent of the environmental concerns, including soil and ground contamination.

The site is intended for potential use as a park or open space, and the assessment will help facilitate that conversion.

Have an interesting story? Contact David Skolnick by email at dskolnick@vindy.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.